Game apparatus



' 2 sheets-sheet. 1. G. S. PARKER. Y GAME APPARATUS.

(No Model.)

Patentedf'eb. 16,1892.

(No Model.) l '2 sheets-sheet `2.

' G. S. PARKER.

GAMB APPARATUS. y No. 469,089. Patented Feb.v 1.6.1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. PARKER, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAM E APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,089, dated February 16, 1892.

Application tiled July 11,1891. Seria-l No. 3991260. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Salem, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Parlor Games, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in parlor games; and it is carried out as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents the pictorial or geographical map of which the game is in part composed. Fig. 2 represents a detail perspective view of one of the men or pieces adapted to be placed and moved on the said map. Fig. 3 represents one ofthe toy tickets. Fig. 4 represents one of toy money pieces used with the game, and Fig. 5 represents dice and a dice-box or other suitable game of chance used in connection with the game.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

In Fig. l, A represents a map, preferably a pictorial one, of any desired country, with roads, railroads, or rivers B B marked thereon, and cities, towns, or stations b b on such roads, as shown in Fig. 1.

C in Fig. 2 represents one of the men or pieces by'means of which the distance traveled by each is indicated upon the map.

D in Fig. 3 represents a toy ticket, and E in Fig. 4 represents a piece of toy money, the uses of which will hereinafter be described.

F and ff in Fig. 5 represent a dice-box and dice used in connection with the map and men or pieces.

Any other suitable game of cl1ance-such, as, for instance, a spinning-wheel, &c.-may be used to equal advantage instead of the dice and dice-box without departing from the essence of my invention.

The game is played by two or more players, singly o'r in partnership, as follows: Each player is at the start given an equal amount of toy money E, and then draws from a pile or box a ticket D, indicating to what station or locality and by what route he is to travel. The price of the ticket drawn is marked upon it and is paid for by the toy money in the poson the map A. Each player in turn then throws withy the dice or spins an indicator, if indicators are used instead, and moves his man or piece as many spaces or divisions on the road in which his ticket entitles him to travel, equal to the throw of the dice or spin of indicator shown, and places his man or piece on the board accordingly. The other players in turn do the same until they reach the destination of the tickets held by them when they draw tickets with the last station as a starting-point, and so on until the game is won by the player that first reaches his original startingpoint.

The particular map represented in the drawings shows the routes that may be taken in the tour of a number of people starting from Boston who journey across the continent to San Francisco and return. The player iirst returning to Boston after having gone through to San Francisco wins the game. Toy money to the amount of, say, three hundred dollars is given to each of the players, fromwhich they must pay their railroad expenses. If they draw tickets which enable them to take comparatively direct routes, the three hundred dollars will be sufficient to take them through to San Francisco and return. If the tickets which they draw make the routes very indirect and expensive, they may find it impossible to reach home with the amount stated. Players whose 'amount of money falls short, so that they are unable to buy a ticket, must remain in the city which they desire .to leave until every other player has had three turns.A

After a player has lost these three turns -he may borrow from one of the company, who will loan him the necessary amount to pay for his ticket home.

Railroad-tickets must be kept in separate packs. The ticketsupon which the first word is Boston must be kept together. Those on which the first Word is Chicago7 must be kept together. The same rule must be followed with the "New Orleans, Denver, and San Francisco tickets.

Each dot on the map represents a railroadstation.

-The game is suited for two,three,' four, five,

IOO

or six players. Players must move in turn. The first player draws a ticket from the Boston pack of tickets without previously examining it and reads his ticket aloud. On 'that ticket the price appears, and he must pay from his three hundred dollars the price of his ticket into the gaine-box or any other receptacle which the players desire to use. He then throws two dice from his dice-cup, and starting with the dot in the center of Boston moves his piece as many dots as the dice indicate along the railroad-track in the direction and through the cities indicated by his ticket. For example, if A draws aticket reading Boston to Chicago ma Boston z Albany, New York Central, and Lake Shore R. R., price $25.00, he vmust count out the twenty-five dollars of his toy money and give the 'same Ain exchange for his ticket. Having thus paid for his ticket, he throws his two dice from his cup, and beginning upon the center of Boston moves his piece along the black line through the cities indicated on his ticket as many dots as the sum of the spots on his two dice indicate. Thus if one die had three points on its upper side and the other six points, he would place his piece upon the ninth spot (which happens to be Rochester) from that indicating the station at Boston.. It'would then become the next players turn to draw a ticket and throw dice and play.

A ticket once drawn is good until the player hasreached the destination marked upon it. Thus when it becomes As turn to play again and he had only proceeded as far as Rochester, for example, on his route to Chicago, he Vwould not draw another ticket, because the ticket previously drawn has not been used up, but would simply throw the dice and play ahead the number of stations that the dice indicated, and not until he has reached Chicago or Whatever terminal point his ticket might indicate wouldv he be obliged to draw and pay for another railroad-ticket.

Players must reach the terminal point on their tickets by exact throw of the dice-that is to say, if a player is three spaces away from Chicago and throws a two and a six he cannot play the six, but would move forward the two. He cannot move again until one of his dice thrown is a one. In other words, it is never necessary that a player should play for ward the number of spaces indicated by his two dice, though he naturally does so, as his desire is to get along as fast as possible. Vhen, however, he comes so near a city that both added together will give too many points and will carry hiin beyond the city, he can simply play the number of points shown on one die.

Players, although obliged to reach the terminal point on their tickets by exact throw of dice, need not reach the points between by exact throw, as those points are only named that players may proceed on the route running through them. After a player has reached the termi-nal point on his ticketthat is,- as f ar as his ticket will carry him--he returns the ticket to the place he drew it from. All the tickets in that pack are then shuflied before any one else draws. The manner of playing the game may, however, be varied to suit the players, and, if so desired, the toy money may be dispensed with without departing from the essence of my invention.

What I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim isp 1. Ther game of travel, as described, consisting in the combination of a map, movable men or pieces, toy tickets, and dice or equivalent game of chance, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l, y

2. rlhe game of travel, as described, consisting in`the combination of a map, toy tickets, toy money, and movable men or pieces, substantially as and vfor the purpose set forth.

3. i The game of travel, as described, consisting in the combination of a map, toy tickets, toy money, movable men or pieces, and dice or equivalent game of chance, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 19th day of June, A. D. 1891. I

eEoRGE s. PARKER.

Vitnesses:

ALBAN .ANDRN, GEO. W. WHITE. 

